Adding protein to pancakes was a great idea. It gave me all the justification I needed to indulge in my favorite breakfast more often. Instead of empty calories, there is some nutritional value to these cakes. I have been having fun adding different fruit to the mix, and I recently decided to add some apples.
In order to make the texture more suited to pancakes, I cooked the apples slowly with two tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of cinnamon over low heat, to caramelize them. Just like you do with onions, but with apples cut to about the same size.
Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorite brands because they offer creative and healthful food products. I grew up during the rise of health food stores, and I’m grateful for the food choices my mother made when I was a kid. There were, however, far fewer choices of desserts that were actually delicious. Bob’s Red Mill is a leader in this important culinary direction.
If we are to solve the health epidemics caused by bad foods, we must make delicious alternatives. As long as the cheap and toxic “food” that fills our grocery stores is more palatable than the healthy alternatives, our people will continue to make themselves sick with the food they eat.
Grain Free Brownie Goodness
This was my first time trying one of the Grain Free baking mixes by Bob’s Red Mill. Made with almond and cassava flours, it is sweetened with coconut sugar. It’s simple to prepare. You just mix the dry ingredients together with three eggs and 3/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil and add to an oiled 8×8” pan. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 22-25 minutes and allow to cool completely.
The results? Absolutely amazing taste and a clean burning energy. It has all the dank chocolate flavor you could want without the crash. I give this mix a 9.6 out of 10 for ease, healthfulness, and taste!
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching as evidenced by the candy displays in our stores. My daughter and I play a game where we guess each other’s favorites, and candy or sweet treats are always on the list. Since Christmas, Lindor Truffles have been her favorite. So, on a recent trip to Target we saw some new seasonal Lindt Lindor Truffles and we were inspired to make a cookie featuring them.
They were Strawberry and Cream truffles, so we started brainstorming possible cookies that could house such an audacious topping. We settled on oatmeal cookies with fresh strawberries. Our thinking was that the oatmeal cookie would be solid and hearty enough to balance out the sweetness of the truffle, and the fresh strawberries would add some nice tang. Boy were we right.
Have you ever eaten a cookie that tastes like espresso? I hadn’t either, but it’s my new favorite treat. The rich nuttiness of the browned butter creates the body of the cookie and the dark chocolate chips and espresso powder add depth and dimension. This cookie is an experience.
Brown the Butter: on medium low heat constantly stir the butter until it achieves a golden brown color. The butter will froth up and the froth will recede before the butter is brown. Make sure you don’t use too hot of a temperature or you may burn the butter fats. This is like roasting a marshmallow, so practice patience to get the perfect golden color.
Mix in Brown Sugar: transfer the butter to a large mixing bowl and add the brown sugar. Mix until fully incorporated.
Add eggs and vanilla: in order to avoid getting egg shells in your cookie dough, crack your eggs into a small bowl, add the vanilla and whisk with a fork until the eggs are an even consistency. Then, add to the sugar butter mixture and mix until creamy and smooth.
Combine dry ingredients and incorporate into dough: add 2 cups of flour to measuring cup and add the salt, baking soda, and espresso powder. Mix together with espresso powder and add one cup at a time to the mixture, mixing as you go. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add another 1/4 cup of flour at a time until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.
Add chocolate chips: mix in the chocolate chips. Using your hands makes this step a little easier.
Form dough into balls: using your hands, make cookie sized balls of dough in the bowl. Cover bowl with tin foil and cool overnight, or for at least 12 hours. This step is crucial to allow the whole wheat flour to fully hydrate. This will make the cookies gooey and delicious in the center.
Preheat oven to 350. Place six balls of cookie dough on baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and using a metal spatula place on a cooling rack.
